1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an agricultural bagging machine and more particularly to an adjustable anchor wing for an agricultural bagging machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural feed bagging machines have been employed for several years to pack or bag silage or the like into elongated plastic bags. Two of the earliest bagging machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,687,061 and 4,046,068. In the prior art bagging machines, silage or the like is supplied to the forward or intake end of the bagging machine and is fed to a rotor or the like which conveys the silage into a tunnel on which the bag is positioned so that the bag is filled. As silage is loaded into the bag, the bagging machine moves away from the filled end of the bag in a controlled fashion so as to achieve uniform compaction of the silage material within the bag. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,805, silage is forced by means of a rotor from the intake chamber of the machine through the output chamber of the machine and into the agricultural bag with a backstop structure yieldably engaging the closed end of the agricultural bag to resist the movement of the bagging machine away from the filled end of the agricultural bag as silage is forced into the bag. The structure of the ""805 patent includes a pair of drums rotatably mounted on the bagging machine with a brake associated therewith for braking or resisting the rotation of the drum with a selected brake force. A cable is wrapped around the drum and is connected to the backstop.
Although the cable drum and backstop structure of the ""805 patent and other similar machines do function generally satisfactorily, the cables, which are positioned on opposite sides of the bag, can create openings or holes in the bag which will adversely affect the fermentation process within the bag. A further disadvantage of the cable drum and backstop structure of the devices such as shown in the ""805 patent is that the cables must be rewound after the filling of an individual bag. A further disadvantage of the cable drum and backstop structure of the machine such as disclosed in the ""805 patent is that a dangerous condition exists should one of the cables break.
In an effort to overcome some of the disadvantages of machines such a disclosed in the ""805 patent, an attempt was made in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,666 to achieve the desired bagging operation while eliminating the need for the cable drum and backstop structure. In the ""666 patent, the wheels on the bagging machine were braked to provide the desired resistance to the filling of the bag. Although the brake system of the ""666 patent apparently met with some success, it is believed that machines such as disclosed in the ""666 patent experience slippage difficulties in wet field conditions which adversely affect the bagging operation. It is also believed that the brake means alone on the bagging machine such as those disclosed in the ""666 patent do not achieve the desired compaction of the silage material within the bag.
In applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,377, a bagging machine is described which has the capability of enabling the density of the silage material to be selectively controlled without the need of an elaborate braking system. In applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,377, a density control means is described which included a plurality of cables which are positioned in the flow of the silage material being bagged. In order to vary the density of the material in the machine of the ""377 patent, more or less cables are employed based on the material being packed. For example, corn silage flows easy and would require more cables while alfalfa packs hard and would use less cables.
In applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,220, a density control means is described which includes a pair of intersecting cables positioned in the flow of the silage material being bagged. In order to vary the density of the material in the machine of the ""220 patent, the relationship of the intersecting or crisscrossing cables is varied. In applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,594, a fixed beveled press plate is disclosed for use with a density control cable.
Although the use of the density control cables in applicant""s previous patents such as U.S. Pat. No 5,671,594 has met with success, the adjustment of the cable sloop takes approximately ten feet of machine movement before the adjusted cable loop becomes completely effective.
An agricultural feed bagging machine is disclosed which comprises a wheeled frame having rearward and forward ends. A tunnel is provided on the wheeled frame and has an intake end for receiving silage material or the like and an output end adapted to receive the mouth of an agricultural bag. A hopper or feed table is provided on the wheeled frame for receiving the material to be bagged and is adapted to supply the same to a feed compression means such as a rotatable rotor which forces the material into the tunnel and into the bag. First and second cables extend rearwardly from the frame into the tunnel and have an adjustable anchor wing assembly operatively connected thereto. The adjustable anchor wing assembly includes a primary hub which is connected to the rearward end of the first cable. A pair of wing members are pivotally secured to the primary hub and may be moved between retracted and extended positions. A center adjustment hub is pivotally connected to the wing members through a linkage for moving the wing members between their retracted and extended positions. The rearward end of the second cable passes through the primary hub and is secured to the center adjustment hub. Forward movement of the fist cable while the second cable is moved rearwardly causes the wing members to be pivotally moved from their extended position to their retracted position. Conversely, rearward movement of the first cable while simultaneously moving the second cable forwardly causes the wing members to be pivotally moved from their extracted position to their extended position As the bagging machine packs material into the bag and the bagging machine moves away from the bagged material, the adjustable anchor wing assembly is pulled through the material being bagged to act as an anchor to hold the machine from rolling ahead prematurely. The anchoring effect of the anchor wing assembly is varied by pivotally moving the wing members between their extended and retracted positions.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an adjustable anchor wing assembly for use on an agricultural bagging machine.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable anchor wing assembly for use on an agricultural bagging machine wherein the assembly acts as an anchor in the material being bagged to prevent the bagging machine from rolling ahead prematurely.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable anchor wing assembly which enables the density of the packed material to be precisely controlled with the adjustment of the adjustable wing assembly being substantially simultaneous.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable anchor wing assembly which may be mounted on a conventional agricultural bagging machine without extensive modifications thereof.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable anchor wing assembly for use on an agricultural bagging machine which is economical of manufacture and durable in use.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.